Apparatus and method for forming casingless sausage and the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is provided for processing batter materials, such as food batter, including sausage batter for wieners and the like, without incorporating the use of any casing for the batter. The apparatus forms a blank having a proteinaceous skin made by congealing surface batter materials. Each thus formed blank is ejected onto a conveyor that includes a device for completing the formation of congealed skin on the blank. The thus shaped items can then be packaged and cooked within the package in order to provide an aseptic product. If desired, the items can be cooked and then packaged in order to provide a product having an acceptable shelf-life.

This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No.400,080, filed Aug. 29, 1989.

DESCRIPTION Background and Summary of the Invention

The subject invention generally relates to an apparatus for formingbatter into a shaped product without using a casing or the like. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for forming acasingless shaped product, such as a casingless sausage and the like, byforming a proteinaceous skin on batter materials in order to impart andmaintain an initial shape to the batter material. A conveyor assembly,which receives the thus initially formed and shaped batter material, hasan assembly for modifying the shape of at least one end of the initiallyshaped batter material, this shape-modifying assembly imparting agenerally rounded configuration to the end portion of the initiallyshaped batter material by virtue of relative rotational movement betweena surface of this assembly and the end portion of the batter material.

Various devices are known for shaping batter materials such as sausagebatter, other food product batters and the like, and stuffing the batterinto a casing, which casing can complete the shaping of the batter asdesired while maintaining the desired shape during further processing.Often, the further processing includes cooking or other procedure whichmodifies the consistency of the batter such that it will substantiallymaintain its desired shape. At least in the case of wieners and othersausage products, each casing is subsequently removed during processingso that the product purchased by the consumer is a so-called casinglessproduct, even though a casing has been used during processing. Suchcasing removal requires a specially designed apparatus, such as the oneillustrated in Koken U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,707.

Various devices have been proposed for forming and processing sausagesand the like without using casings. One suggested approach has been toform and cook a food batter within an elongated tube which hasend-shaping plugs periodically spaced therewithin, as illustrated inU.S. Pat. No. 4,113,890. This requires a continuous inserting of thebatter and plugs into the tube and a removal of the plugs and cookedbatter out of the tube. Another patent, Rogers U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,093,proposes making food products such as skinless sausages through the useof a series of plugs that engage a tube within which the batter iscooked.

Another suggested approach is to use a plurality of hollow molding tubesthat are conveyed sequentially through an endless path. Geissbuhler U.S.Pat. No. 4,379,356 proposes the use of a plurality of molds having anopen end such that sausage material will expand out of the tube and,this patent suggests, be formed into rounded sausage ends when eachmolding tube is conveyed through a heating zone, which is shown as a hotwater bath.

Suggestions in the art as are exemplified by these patents call forshaping of a batter-originating product within a tube or mold andthereafter removing the finally shaped product from the mold, andtypically from a plurality of mold cavities or a mold cavity having aplurality of molding locations. Proposals of this general category tendto require complicated apparatus features, often including a complexmolding structure having various moving parts and/or multiplecomponents, which at times must be accurately indexed and/or alignedwith respect to each other.

By proceeding in accordance with the present invention, batter such assausage batter and the like is transformed into a shaped product such asa sausage or the like without having to form that product within acasing and subsequently remove and discard the casing. An apparatus isprovided wherein the batter is stuffed into a shaped cavity having meansfor heating the batter in order to thereby form a proteinaceous skin,which skin holds the batter together and imparts to it a preliminaryshape which approximates the desired final shape of the product. Thispreliminarily shaped product, or blank, is removed from the moldingassembly and deposited on a conveyor for further shaping into thedesired end product. In an illustrated embodiment, the conveyor includesa rotating end forming assembly for engaging at least one end of theinitially shaped batter blank into a generally rounded configuration byrelative rotational movement between the blank and the end formingassembly. Typically, an assembly also is provided whereby elongatedperipheral pressure is imparted to the blank in order to facilitatemovement of the batter toward and into engagement with the rotating endforming assembly.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improvedapparatus for transforming batter into shaped products without utilizingcasings or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus that includes forming at least a portion of abatter-originating product with an assembly which does not include aproduct-conforming mold.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus formaking casingless food products that can be cooked and then packaged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for forming casingless products that can be packaged and thenaseptically cooked within the package.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improvedsausage-making apparatus which is of an especially simplifiedconstruction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sausage-makingapparatus which reduces the cost of utilities when compared withconventional casing-utilizing systems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus formaking sausages and the like that does not require any casing removaldevices.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be clearly understood through a consideration of thefollowed detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the course of this description, reference will be made to theattached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a sausage processing line incorporatingfeatures according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, primarily elevational detail view, generallytaken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a shaping conveyor assembly accordingto the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, generally cross-sectional view substantiallyalong the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, generally cross-sectional view substantiallyalong the line 5--5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a layout for a sausage processing line incorporatingthe present invention. A batter preparation apparatus 21 includes mixingand feeding assemblies of generally known construction by whichcomponents such as sausage ingredients are combined and blended todesired product identity, consistency, taste and the like into apumpable batter. Batter preparation apparatus 21 feeds into a stuffingand shaping apparatus 22, which is illustrated in greater detail in FIG.2. The stuffing and shaping apparatus 22 ejects partially shapedproducts or blanks 23 onto a conveyor assembly, generally designated as24. Preferably, conveyor assembly 24 completes formation of the blanks23 into uncooked products 25.

Uncooked products 25 can then be processed as needed or desired. Forexample, sausage products 25 can be flavored in a smoker apparatus 26,which can be of generally known construction. FIG. 1 illustrates cookingand packaging arrangements which can be utilized or eliminated asdesired. A cooking apparatus 27 can precede a packaging apparatus 28,typically of generally known construction. An alternative packagingapparatus 29 and cooking apparatus 31 can be provided, as discussed ingreater detail hereinafter.

With more particular reference to the stuffing and shaping apparatus 22,same includes a molding compartment, such as the illustrated tube 32.Batter from the batter preparation apparatus 21 is pumped to the moldingcompartment 32 through suitable equipment such as that including theillustrated supply line 33. A suitable ejection mechanism, for examplethe illustrated piston or ram mechanism 34, will eject the partiallyshaped products or blanks 23 out of an open end 35 of the moldingcomponent 32. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, a singleblank 23 is formed during each cycle of the apparatus, although it willbe appreciated that multiple product blank formation or generallycontinuous product blank formation could be carried out by appropriatelymodifying the equipment.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in thedrawings, the inside diameter of tube 32 is slightly larger than thedesired outside diameter of the finished product. This is due to theslight reduction in size of the blank 23 which is carried out on thepreferred conveyor assembly 24 as discussed elsewhere herein. Whendesired, a plurality of elongated wires 36 may be included within themolding compartment 32 in order to generally longitudinally orient hidefibers or other components of the pumped batter.

A heating assembly 37 is associated with the molding compartment 32.When the molding compartment is generally tubular in shape, it ispreferred that the heating assembly 37 provide a tubular heating surfacein order to thereby heat the tubular inside surface of the moldingcompartment 32. Batter passing through the tube on a continuous flowbasis is thereby surface cooked or congealed in order to form aproteinaceous skin of batter materials. A typical skin in this regard ison the order of about 0.020 to about 0.050 inch thick. Heating assembly37 will typically be able to form this proteinaceous skin during a veryshort time period, typically on the order of about one to two secondswhen the heating assembly 37 outputs a temperature of between about 410°and about 440° F. Conditions such as these are typically suitable whenthe batter material is a sausage batter. In this situation, no stickingis observed with a stainless steel internal surface of the moldingcomponent. This non-sticking, even flow of batter appears to befacilitated by a small amount of rendering that apparently occurs when asausage batter or the like is subjected to the conditions imparted bythe tube 32 and heating assembly 37. Heating assembly 37 is energizedfrom a suitable energy supply such as the illustrated conductors 38.

Means are provided for severing the batter into the partially shapedproducts or blanks 23. For example, a knife assembly 39 is shownpositioned at a location which is closely spaced from the open end 35 ofthe molding compartment 32. The thus severed blanks 23, which are mostconveniently deposited directly onto the conveyor assembly 24, include aproteinaceous skin 41 (FIG. 6) which performs a function on the order ofthat performed by a casing required of material processed on previouslyused equipment and maintains the desired general shape (such as theillustrated elongated cylinder) of the blank 23. Each blank 23 alsoincludes a core portion 42, which is essentially raw batter. Each blank23 has enough integrity in order to be handled for further processing.

Referring more specifically to the conveyor assembly 24, it is capableof receiving a plurality of partially shaped products or blanks 23 andconveying them for shaping into the uncooked products 25. The preferredconveyor assembly 24 preferably includes an assembly for applyinginwardly directed pressure onto the exterior periphery of each blank 23in order to thereby exert a generally compressive, moderate force ontothe blank. As a result, raw batter of the core portion 42 of each blankspreads generally outwardly. In the illustrated generally cylindricalproducts, the raw batter, moves substantially longitudinally andoutwardly, and this raw batter is then formed into generally finishedends 43 in which the proteinaceous skin 41 thereby substantiallycompletely envelopes the core portion of raw batter 42.

The illustrated conveyor assembly 24 includes a plurality of generallyparallel rollers 44 which are secured to a chain assembly 45. The chainassembly 45 will typically take the form of an endless conveyor whichincludes a run that receives the blanks 23 and conveys them away fromthe stuffing and shaping apparatus 22. Rollers 44 are spaced such that apair of them support and rotate a blank 23. Smaller, intermediaterollers 44a can be spaced between these roller pairs, as needed ordesired to properly support the blanks 23. Preferably, some or all ofthe rollers are driven, for example by rolling engagement with a rail46, or by any other suitable rotation-imparting mechanism. Any suitablearrangement for driving the rollers can be utilized, provided therollers can be driven while the chain assembly 45 traverses its conveyedpathway. Rotation of the rollers assists in maintaining a substantiallyround cross section to each blank 23 and in minimizing the formation ofany processing marks thereon.

Conveyor assembly 24 further includes a plurality of forming rollers 47,preferably also rotatably mounted to the chain assembly 45. Rotationaldriving of each forming roller 47 can be accomplished in substantiallythe same manner as is achieved for rollers 44 and/or 44a; for example,rod extensions 48 can engage the rail 46. Preferably, each formingroller 47 is in continuous rotating engagement with at least a portionof each of the blanks 23. Forming rollers 47 include end flanges 49.Illustrated end flanges 49 include a surface which, when rotated duringengagement with batter flowing from the blanks 23, will shape thatbatter into the desired shape of a generally finished end 43. In theillustrated embodiment, this is accomplished by a curved, flaredspool-like surface 51. when the end flange 49 rotates, the curved,flared surface 51 provides a continuous curved (typically semi-circular)shaping edge. Preferably, at least the end flange 49 of each formingroller is heated so that the generally concave shaping edge of eachcurved flared surface 51 will form the proteinaceous skin 41 over thegenerally finished ends 43 of the uncooked products 25. Typically, atemperature of on the order of approximately 290° to 310° F. willachieve the desired degree of skinning over at the surface 51.

In order to insure that the batter 42 will efficiently and quickly flowbeyond the initially formed end of each blank 23, a squeeze assembly 52for exerting pressure onto each blank 23 is positioned in generallyopposing relationship to the chain assembly 45. The illustrated squeezeassembly 52 includes an overhead conveyor assembly 53 which has asubstantially flat belt 54 that engages each blank 23, which blank isthen compressed or squeezed between the belt 54 and the roller pair 44and forming roller 47 associated with that particular blank 23.Preferably, belt 54 is not precisely parallel to the chain assembly 45,but the space between the roller chain assembly 45 and the flat belt 54gradually decreases in the downstream direction. The extent of thisdecrease or taper need not be substantial. For example, for a typicalwiener, the decrease need be only on the order of approximately 1millimeter in order to ensure proper formation of the generally finishedends 43. In other words, for a typical wiener, the diameter of theuncooked product 25 is on the order of approximately 1 millimeter lessthan the diameter of the blank 23.

When provided, the smoker apparatus 26 can include a smoke chamber ofgenerally known construction. Particularly efficient smoking can bepracticed inasmuch as the uncooked products 25 do not have a casing,which would otherwise have to be penetrated by the smoke media whenother devices are used. Facilities could also be provided for theutilization of liquid smoke or other flavoring components or devices.Uniformity of smoke application can be enhanced by continuing the rollerconveyor into and through the smoker apparatus 26.

Concerning the combination illustrated in FIG. 1 of the cookingapparatus 27 followed by the packaging apparatus 28, the conveyorassembly 24 can continue into the cooking apparatus 27 in order toundergo generally conventional cooking procedures. Exemplary heatingprocedures would include oven heating, convection heating and/ormicrowave heating. The thus cooked products are then transferred to apackaging apparatus of a generally known type. By this procedure, avacuum packaged grouping of casingless products, such as wieners, areprovided, and these packaged products will have a shelf-life of anacceptable length.

Because the uncooked products 25 can be handled, at least to a certainextent, prior to cooking them, and because there is no casing that needsto be removed after cooking, it is possible to package the uncookedproducts 25 in the alternative packaging apparatus 29. Generallyspeaking, these uncooked products 25 are packaged in a substantially rawstate. Subsequent cooking in the alternative cooking apparatus 31 iscarried out after packaging, thereby enabling the formation of anaseptic package of the desired products, such as wieners, othersausages, or the like. The alternative cooking apparatus 31 wouldtypically include a hot-water cooking bath, a hot platter cookingapparatus, or the like. By utilizing this apparatus to form an asepticpackage, subsequent treatments to enhance shelf-life, such astemperature reduction devices, can be eliminated.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modificationsthereof may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims tocover all such modifications and equivalents which embody the inventivefeatures as defined in the claims.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for forming a casingless sausage and the like, comprising:means for stuffing and shaping flowable batter material; forming means associated with said stuffing and shaping means, said forming means being for forming a proteinaceous skin of batter material from the batter material of the stuffing and shaping means; ejecting means for removing a blank from the stuffing and shaping means, the blank having a shape determined by said stuffing and shaping means, the blank further having an external surface including the proteinaceous skin and a core portion including batter material which has not been formed into the proteinaceous skin; and conveyor means for receiving and conveying the blank, said conveyor means including end forming means for engaging batter material at at least one end of the blank and for shaping the end batter material into a generally rounded configuration by relative rotational movement between the blank and the end forming means to thereby form a shaped product.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said end forming means includes a rotatable roller having an end flange with a curved flared surface that rotatably engages batter material at the at least one end of the blank.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said end forming means includes heating means for forming a proteinaceous skin from the end batter material.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including a squeeze assembly which is positioned generally opposite to said conveyor means such that the blank engages both the conveyor means and the squeeze assembly.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the squeeze assembly and the conveyor means are spaced apart by a distance approximating the height of the blank, and the distance tapers gradually downwardly in the downstream direction of the conveyor means, whereby the blank is subjected to squeezing forces when it moves between the squeeze assembly and the conveyor means.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said end forming means includes a rotatable roller having an end flange with a curved flared surface that rotatably engages batter material at the at least one end of the blank, and the squeeze assembly and the conveyor means cooperate to squeeze batter material from the blank and into engagement with said end flange of the end forming means.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said end forming means includes heating means for forming a proteinaceous skin from the end batter material.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said end forming means includes a rotatable roller having an end flange with a generally concave surface that engages the batter material at the at least one end of the blank, and wherein said concave surface is a heated surface that forms a proteinaceous skin from the end batter material.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further including a squeeze assembly which is positioned generally opposite to said conveyor means such that the blank engages both the conveyor means and the squeeze assembly, and the squeeze assembly and the conveyor means cooperate to squeeze batter material from the blank and into engagement with said end flange of the end forming means.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor means includes a plurality of rollers, and wherein the blank is supported by at least a pair of said rollers.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said rollers rotate the blank.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for stuffing and shaping flowable batter provides a continuous flow of batter, and a knife assembly is provided for severing the continuous flow of batter into the blanks, said knife assembly being downstream of said forming means.
 13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including an overhead flat belt conveyor positioned generally above said conveyor means at a distance whereby the blank is subjected to a moderate squeezing force when moving between the overhead flat belt conveyor and said conveyor means.
 14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for cooking the shaped product, said cooking means being downstream of said conveyor means.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including packaging means for inserting the shaped product into a package and means are provided downstream of said packaging means for cooking the shaped product while it is within the package.
 16. An apparatus for forming a casingless sausage and the like, comprising:means for stuffing and shaping flowable batter material, said stuffing and shaping means having a generally tubular interior surface; forming means associated with said stuffing and shaping means, said forming means being for forming a generally cylindrical proteinaceous skin of batter material from the batter material of the stuffing and shaping means; ejecting means for removing a generally cylindrical blank from the stuffing and shaping means, the blank having an external surface including the proteinaceous skin and a generally cylindrical core portion including batter material which has not been formed into the proteinaceous skin; and conveyor means for receiving and conveying the blank, said conveyor means including end forming means for rotatably engaging batter material at at least one end of the blank and for shaping the end batter material into a generally domed configuration by relative rotational movement between the blank and the end forming means to thereby form a product having a sausage-like shape.
 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said end forming means includes a rotatable roller having an end flange with a generally concave curved flared surface that rotatably engages batter material at the at least one end of the blank, and said end forming means includes heating means for forming a proteinaceous skin having said generally domed configuration.
 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, further including a squeeze assembly which is positioned generally opposite to said conveyor means such that the blank engages both the conveyor means and the squeeze assembly, and the squeeze assembly and the conveyor means cooperate to squeeze batter material from the blank and into engagement with said end flange of the end forming means.
 19. The apparatus according to claim 16, further including an overhead flat belt conveyor positioned generally above said conveyor means at a distance whereby the blank is subjected to a moderate squeezing force when moving between the overhead flat belt conveyor and said conveyor means.
 20. The apparatus according to claim 16, further including packaging means for inserting the sausage-like shaped product into a package and means are provided downstream of said packaging means for cooking the shaped product while it is within the package.
 21. A method for forming a casingless sausage and the like, comprising:stuffing and shaping flowable batter material into a shaped batter component; forming on said shaped batter component a proteinaceous skin of batter material from the batter material of the shaped batter component in order to thereby provide a blank having a shape determined during said stuffing and shaping step, the blank further having an external surface including the proteinaceous skin and a core portion including batter material which has not been formed into the proteinaceous skin; receiving and conveying the blank in a downstream direction and shaping batter material at at least one end of the blank; and said downstream shaping step includes engaging the end batter material with an end forming surface by relative rotational movement between the blank and the end forming surface to thereby form a shaped product with an end having a generally rounded configuration.
 22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said downstream shaping step includes heating the end batter material to form a proteinaceous skin on the end having a generally rounded configuration.
 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said downstream shaping step further includes squeezing the blank in a generally radial direction.
 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the squeezing step includes positioning and moving the blank between generally opposing surfaces which are spaced apart by a distance that tapers gradually downwardly in a downstream direction to subject the blank to increasing squeezing forces applied to the blank when the blank moves in the downstream direction.
 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said downstream shaping step includes heating the end batter material to form a proteinaceous skin on the end having a generally rounded configuration.
 26. The method according to claim 21, wherein said downstream shaping step includes providing the end forming surface as a generally concave surface and engaging same with the batter material at the at least one end of the blank.
 27. The method according to claim 21, wherein said forming step includes heating said shaped batter component to form the proteinaceous skin of batter material.
 28. The method according to claim 21, wherein said conveying step includes supporting the blank by at least a pair of rollers.
 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said supporting step includes rotating the blank.
 30. The method according to claim 21, wherein said stuffing and shaping step provides a continuous flow of batter, and further including severing the continuous flow of batter into a plurality of blanks.
 31. The method according to claim 21, further including cooking the shaped product subsequent to said downstream shaping step.
 32. The method according to claim 21, further including inserting the shaped product into a package and cooking the shaped product while it is within the package. 